The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Bastch) tree named xe2x80x98UFOxe2x80x99, and more particularly to a peach tree adapted to a mild winter climate. The tree produces peento (donut, flat or saucer shape) fruit with good eating quality, semi-freestone, and yellow, non-melting flesh, maturing in mid- to late May at Gainesville. Asexual propagation was performed at Gainesville, Fla., where the selection was made, and top worked trees were fruited the past two years. Contrast is made to xe2x80x98UFGoldxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,315) peach, a standard variety, for reliable description and contrast. This new peento peach variety is a promising candidate for a unique fruit on the fresh market. It retains fruit firmness at the full flavor, tree ripe stage for 10 days on the tree.
This peach tree (genotype) originated in the fruit breeding program at the University of Florida, located at Gainesville, as a self-pollination of Fla. 95-10pc (non-patented), a non-melting flesh peach from the program. xe2x80x98UFOxe2x80x99 was observed with a crop in 1997, and was selected from about 30 siblings in 1998 when it bore a heavy crop and was determined to have unique tree and fruit characteristics making it worthy for commercial fresh fruit production. It was designated as Fla. 98-7pc and was asexually propagated at Gainesville as a uniform variety by topworking 3-year-old trees and by budding to young seedlings of xe2x80x98Flordaguardxe2x80x99 (non-patented) rootstock. There are no effects of this rootstock on this scion variety that are known to the inventor.
The new and distinct variety of peento peach bears yellow, non-melting flesh fruit, and has a moderate-chilling dormancy requirement estimated to be 250 chill units based on time of bloom in relation to standard varieties. xe2x80x98UFOxe2x80x99 blooms about 5 days after xe2x80x98UFGoldxe2x80x99 peach at Gainesville, bearing 50 to 70% red skin and yellow flesh fruit. When grown in subtropical climates to take advantage of its early bloom (low-chilling), xe2x80x98UFOxe2x80x99 is the first described, non-melting flesh, peento peach to ripen in the USA.
The present invention resulting in xe2x80x98UFOxe2x80x99 peach tree is characterized by non-melting flesh, peento shape, and attractive fruit of excellent flavor and eating quality on a tree adapted to mild winters. The trees are vigorous, productive, and regular bearing. Trees attain in two years, a height of three meters and a spread of two meters at Gainesville. The first fruit ripen in mid-to late May at Gainesville, about 95 days from full bloom, which is about 10 to 15 days after xe2x80x98UFGoldxe2x80x99. The fruit are uniformly large (60 to 80 g) for a peento peach. Ripe fruit have 50 to 70% red (solid and stripes) skin with small flecks of red pigment in the flesh, but no red in the flesh surrounding the pit. The flower anthers are light red to yellow, a common characteristic of many standard peach and nectarine varieties.